Automatic rail-frog



(No Model.)

H. W. BYERS. AUTOMATIC RAIL FROG.

Bahama-Nov. 14, 189s.

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me nAnoNAL umoem m f UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE."

HENRY W.' BYERS, O F NEW CASTLBLLAWRENCE COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA.

AUTOMATIC RAIL-FROG.

Y SPECIFICATION forming part` Of Letters :Patent NO. 508,867, dated `ll'ovelfnloel 14, 1893.- l Application filed May 29, 1893- Serial No. L175,867. (No model.)

,To utZZjwhcm` tm/ay concern: ,g Beit known that I, HENRY W. BYERs, a citi- .szen-l of the -United States, residing at New Castle, in the county of Lawrence and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Automatic Continuous'Rail-Frog, of which the following is a specification.

TheV invention relates to improvements in automatic continuons rail frogs.

The object of the present invention is 'to improve the construction of railyfrogs,and to provide an automatic continuous one capable of being operated by Wheel iianges, and adapted to present a continuous rail at all times to thev wheels of a passing train.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

Iu'the drawings-Figure 1 is a plan view of an automatic continuous railroad frog embodyingthe invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view on line of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view on line y-y of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a sectional viewon line z-c of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a sectional viewon line Lv-w of Fig. 1.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 and 2 designate sections of a main rail, and 3 and 4 designate similar sections of a side rail. The sections 2 and 4 meet at the point ofinterruption of the rails to' form a frog point 5; and the rails 1 and 3 are connected together near their adjacent ends, which diverge and are located on ,opposite sides of the point 5 to form Wings 6 and 7. The winged ends of the rails 1 and 3 are arranged at an angle to the rest of the rail,and these rails are slidingly mounted on the crossties, which have plates 8 and 9 forming bearing surfaces. The sliding rails are connected at their angles bya clamp 10, and are adapted to move laterally to bring either one of them in contact with the point 5 to form acontinuous rail, and to open the frog at the proper side to permit the passage of the Wheel ilanges. The point 5 terminates slightly in advance of the angles of the sliding rails 1 and 3, and the latter which are operated or actuated by the wheel anges, are connected by bell-crank 1ecvers 1l and 12 and a rod connection 13 with an oscillating contact frame 14, which is pivotally mounted at 15 between the sliding rails. The oscillating contact frame is substantially egg-shaped, having a point and a heel and being pivoted at the former onaplate 16, and

Vhaving secured to it nearits heel'a cross-bar properly the Wings 6 and 7, as will be readily understood.

The wings 6 and 7 are arranged the proper distance apart, and are prevented from sepa.- rating by a clamp 18 consisting of a flat plate'-VVVAVV slidingly mounted in a casing 19 and having its ends 20 bent upward against, bolted to, and conforming to the configuration of the outer faces or sides of the wings.y The ends 2O terminate below the heads of the wings at the outer sides thereof, and the casing 19 is bolted to the bottom ilanges of the rails forming the point 5. By this construction the Wings 6 and 7 are maintained in proper relation with the poi at 5, and are prevented from spreading.

The clamp 10 consists of a flat plate, and knees 21, which are bolted to the railsiand the plate at the outer sides of the former.

.When the oscillating contact frame 14, which is preferably constructed of -av single piece of metal, is adjacent the rail 3, the wing of the latter is away from the point to form a continuous main rail ofthe sections 1 and'2; and car-wheels passing over the rail 3 and approaching the frog from that side, coming in contact with the oscillating contact frame will move the same laterally in contact with, or

nearly so, the rail l, therebyforming a con-k tinuous rail of the sections 3 and 4. `A train approaching the frog from the opposite direction will properly operate the same by its Wheels coming in contact with the divergent ends of the wings 6 and 7.

It will be apparent that the frog is simple and inexpensive in construction, and positive, reliable and automatic in'its operation, and

that a continuous rail is presented to the Wheels;

The bottom flanges of the Wings 6 and 7, which are formed integral with the rails 1 and 5 3, are cut away at the inner sides of the Wings to enable the latter to approachv t l1 e point 5. The end or tip of the point 5 is formed integral with the rail 2, and the railtis let into the adjacent side of the rail 2, as s low'n.

The oscillating or shifting contact frame consists of a solid plate of rnetal provided on its ppe'r face at' its edges vvith marginal' flanges 14a torbe engaged by the ang'es of the wheels.

rails, substant'i Ut D.

'and secured to the other sides of the wings,

fiuy as' dealtime..

2. The combination of the rail sections 2 and 4 converging and forming a point, converging rail sections" l and 3 having sliding lportions connected together and provided vi'tl divergent portions arranged on opposite sides of the point `and forming Wings, a clamp consisting of a'plat 'eiltendingv beneath; the

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HENRY' W.' BYERS.- ivi-messes;

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